International Loan

A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of wedding vows by the couple, presentation of a ring or rings, and a public proclamation of marriage by an authority figure or religious leader. Special wedding garments are often worn, and the ceremony is followed by a wedding reception. Music, poetry, prayer or readings from Scripture may also be incorporated in the ceremony.

Common elements across cultures

A number of cultures adopt the western custom of a bride wearing a white dress. This tradition came to symbolize purity in the Victorian era (despite popular misconception, the white dress did not indicate virginity, which was symbolized by the face veil). Within the ‘white wedding’ tradition, a white dress and veil would not have been considered appropriate for a second or third wedding of a widow or a divorcee.

Exchanging rings may be the oldest and most universal symbol of marriage, but the origins are unclear. The ring’s circular shape represents perfection and never-ending love. The rings are exchanged during the wedding ceremony and symbolize the love, faithfulness and commitment of the marriage union.

The wedding is often followed by a reception during which the rituals include toasting the bride and groom, the newlyweds' first dance as husband and wife, cake cutting, etc.

Traditional wedding garb

• Europe, White Dove Release http://ocdoves.com   United States.
• Qipao or Hanfu, Chinese traditional formal wear
• Batik and Kebaya, a garment worn by the Javanese people of Indonesia.
• Barong Tagalog, an embroidered, formal men's garment of the Philippines.
• Kimono, the traditional garments of Japan
• Sari, Indian popular and traditional dress in India
• Dashiki, the traditional West African wedding attire
• Ao dai, traditional garments of Vietnam
• Morning dress, men's daytime formal dress
• Kilt, male garment particular to Scottish culture
• Kittel, a white robe worn by the groom at an Orthodox Jewish wedding. The kittel is worn only under the Chupah, and is removed before the reception.
• Topor, a type of conical headgear
• Tuxedo
  • Black tie ("dinner jacket" in the UK; traditionally appropriate only for evening weddings but also seen in daytime, especially in the United States)
  • Non-traditional "tuxedo" variants (colored jackets/ties, "wedding suits")
• White tie ("evening dress" in the UK)
• Sherwani, a long coat-like garment worn in South Asia
• Wedding crown, worn by Scandinavian brides
• Wedding veil
• Wedding dress

Wedding music

Western weddings

Music played at western weddings includes a processional song for walking down the aisle (ex: Wedding March) and reception dance music.

Music played at western weddings includes:

• The "Bridal Chorus" from Lohengrin by Richard Wagner, often used as the processional and commonly known as "Here Comes the Bride". Richard Wagner is said to have been anti-Semitic, and as a result, the Bridal Chorus is often not used at Jewish weddings. It is also generally discouraged for use at Roman Catholic weddings.
• Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D is an alternative processional.
• The "Wedding March" from Felix Mendelssohn's incidental music for the Shakespeare play, A Midsummer Night's Dream , used as a recessional.
• The "Toccata" from Charles-Marie Widor's Symphony for Organ No. 5 , used as a recessional.White Dove Release http://ocdoves.com ]].
• Segments of the Ode To Joy, the fourth movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
• At wedding receptions, Der Ententanz , a 1950s Swiss Oom-pah song known more commonly in America as The Chicken Dance , has become a popular part of the reception dance music.

Chinese weddings

A band of musicians with gongs and flute-like instruments accompanies the bride parade to groom's home. Similar music is also played at the wedding banquet. Depending on the region that the bride hails from, Chinese weddings will have different traditions such as Tea Ceremony or the use of a Wedding emcee. Also in modern times, Chinese couples will often go to photo studios to take "glamour shots" posing in multiple gowns and various backgrounds.

Jewish weddings

At some Jewish weddings, a solemn, wordless tune is sung as the groom and then bride walk down the aisles.

Wedding customs around the world

Arab wedding customs

Main Article:Arabic wedding

Although Christian weddings in the Arab World bear similarities to Western weddings, Muslim weddings in the Arab countries are influenced by Muslim traditions. Muslim weddings start with a Shaikh and Al-Kitab (book) for the bride and groom. It is a western misconception that the groom may not see his bride until the wedding day; indeed, a wedding is not Islamically valid unless both bride and groom are willing, and the groom is often encouraged to visit her before the wedding (as advised in many hadeeths of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH)). However, these visits must be chaperoned to ensure purity of action between the two. Men and women in wedding ceremonies and receptions are segregated, with areas for men and for women.

An old tradition, now rarely observed, involves the women at the ceremony symbolically mourning the loss of the bride by doing the "wedding wail". The bride's dress is an ornate Caftan, and the bride's hands and feet are decorated in intricate lace-like patterns painted using a henna dye. Women guests do not show their hair, shoulders or legs; and all guests at a Mosque remove their shoes on entering. Guests may give gifts to the bride and groom. In many Arab countries including Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories, the practice of carrying the bride and groom on chairs and dancing in a circle around them (dabke) is still carried out. The bride and groom hold separate corners of a handkerchief. Arabs may have Western-like weddings, but still preserve most Arab customs and traditions.

Bengali wedding customs

Bengali wedding refers to both Muslim and Hindu weddings in Bangladesh and West Bengal. Although Muslim and Hindu marriages have their distinctive religious rituals, there are many common cultural rituals in marriages across religion among Bengali people.

Chinese wedding customs

Traditional Chinese marriage is a ceremonial ritual within Chinese societies that involve a marriage established by pre-arrangement between families. Within Chinese culture, romantic love was allowed, and monogamy was the norm for most ordinary citizens.

Cantonese wedding customs

Most Cantonese wedding rituals follow the main Chinese wedding traditions, although some rituals are particular to the Cantonese people.

Filipino wedding customs

The groom usually wears the Barong Tagalog during the wedding, along with the male attendants, though nowadays the wealthy opt to don Western attire such as a tuxedo. Sukob : weddings held within the same year by two siblings, usually sisters, are frowned upon as it is regarded as bad luck. Some hold it that the wedding rings dropping to the ground is a portent of bad luck (this is usually said to the ringbearer to ensure that the child is careful in handling the rings). Money, in the form of paper bills, is sometimes taped or pinned to the groom and bride during the reception.

Indian wedding customs

Indian weddings continue for several days. Due to the diversity of Indian culture, the wedding style, ceremony and rituals may vary greatly from amongst various states, regions, religions and castes. While the Christians of India usually follow a more or less Western wedding ceremony, the Indian Hindus, Muslims, Jains and Sikhs follow traditions quite different from the West. It is quite common that during the traditional wedding days, there would be a tilak ceremony (where the groom is anointed on his forehead), a ceremony for adorning the bride's hand and feet with henna (called mehendi ) accompanied by Ladies’ Sangeet (mus